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    Missing May
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    Missing May
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    Missing May
    Audiobook1 hour

    Missing May

    Written by Cynthia Rylant

    Narrated by Frances McDormand

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Since summer was six years old she lived with dear Aunt May and Uncle Ob. Now, six years later, Aunt May has died. Summer, who misses May with all her might, is afraid something will happen to Ob. Most days Ob seems like he doesn't want to go on.



    But then Ob feels May's spirit around him and he wants to contact her. Cletus Underwood, a strange boy from school, reads about someone who could help him do that. Summer wants to hear from May too.



    Ob and Summer don't know what to expect when they set off on their search for some sign from May. They only know they need something to ease their sorrow and give them strength to go on living--always knowing they will never stop missing may.


    From the Trade Paperback edition.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateApr 8, 2008
    ISBN9780739371855
    Unavailable
    Missing May
    Author

    Cynthia Rylant

    Cynthia Rylant is the author of more than 100 books for young people, including the beloved Henry and Mudge, Annie and Snowball, Brownie & Pearl, Motor Mouse, and Mr. Putter & Tabby series. Her novel Missing May received the Newbery Medal. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

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    Reviews for Missing May

    4/5

    262 ratings28 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Missing May, winner of the 1993 Newbery Medal, is a children's book about a young girl Summer who must deal with the sudden death of her beloved adopted mother (and Aunt) May . Summer, an orphan who has been passed from one relative to another after the death of her mother, is adopted at the age 6 by her Aunt May and Uncle Ob. Summer thrives under their care, knowing that she finally has a home. Six years later, Aunt May dies suddenly in her beloved garden. Summer must cope not only with her own grief, while worrying about Uncle Ob, who is overwhelmed by the thought of living without his beloved wife. But then Summer's Uncle Ob claims that May is on her way back--she has sent a sign from the spirit world. Summer isn't sure she believes in the spirit world, but her quirky classmate Cletus Underwood does. Cletus knows of a spirit medium in the capital city, and the three of them take a road trip to meet the medium and to connect again with May. This is a wonderful book that provides a look at grief, love, meaning of home and finding a way to move forward. 4 out of 5 stars.
    • 5/5
      This is a wonderful book about a young girl and a loss in her family, and how they deal with it.It is written for 8-12 year old children, but I laughed and I cried, and I read it in one sitting! Absolutely loved it and the way it was written. Recommended to Everyone!!
    • 5/5
      A simple, timeless story about a little girl's love for her Aunt and the unwavering support from unexpected places. It is an easy read for all ages (grades 3 and up).
    • 4/5
      Summary:May and Ob are to old people who love each other more than words can say. Summer is an orphan who is passed around by all her family members before finally coming to live with her aunt May and uncle Ob. May dies and Ob and Summer are left lonely without her. Then Cletus comes along. Through an adventure to find May, all three become great friends and find a new happiness in life.Personal Reaction:May and Ob remind me so much of my aunt Ann and uncle Tony. My aunt Ann, like May, has the sweetest spirit of anyone I know. My uncle Tony, like Ob, cusses like a sailor, is a beanpole of a man, and loves my aunt Ann dearly.Classroom Extension Ideas:1. Have the children create a timeline of the story. Tell them not to write down everything that occurs, but just the things they feel are important in the story.2. Have the children keep a diary throughout the book. Each day set aside some time for them to write in the diary. Tell the children to imagine they were a character in the story. Tell them to write down what happened in the story that day and how what happened made them feel.
    • 4/5
      After the death of her aunt May, Summer must deal with her own grief as well as the ensuing depression of her bereaved uncle. Short, cute book about dealing with death. Nothing amazing. I think Newbery judges just really like books about grief.
    • 5/5
      The 1993 Newbery Award winner, Missing May is about a girl and her guardian, Summer and Ob, trying to come to terms with the loss of their beloved May. A sweet story about grief and friendship and reasons for living. The things that gave Summer and Ob the most comfort in the end were the simple things that May had said or done to show her love. A quick read with a big impact.
    • 4/5
      Summary- Summer, an orphaned adolescent from Ohio, recently moves to West Virginia to live with her Aunt May and Uncle Ob. Her new parents take care of her and give her a life she's never known. They are not wealthy, but provide Summer with love and adoration. The story takes place after May dies in her garden. Ob is heart broken and Summer is left to take care of herself and Ob. A schoolmate named Cletus enters the picture. Cletus is an outcast and a constant bother to Summer. Eventually, the three characters bond and form an incredible friendship while trying to overcome May's death. Opinion- I enjoyed reading this book. It was unlike many books I've read. Not even 100 pages long, the book can be read very quickly. The author does not use confusing or pretentious language and is best suited for middle school aged children. I thought the plot was interesting and very somber. I enjoyed this book and will read others by Rylant.
    • 3/5
      A quiet, melancholy story of a small, makeshift family after the matriarch dies. Didn't really care for this one, but the writing is good.
    • 4/5
      I had heard this was a great book but had been avoiding it for awhile because I thought it was going to be lugubrious. It isn't. Bridge over Teribithia is a far more lugubrious book. Missing May is about the mourning process, but it is also about how people help each other through a crisis.Cletus, the crazy boy who collects things, attaches himself to the mourning Summer and Ob. His exuberance keeps the book moving, as does the twist of May perhaps not being totally gone.A good book, and certainly a good one for children to read so they are better prepared to handle mourning. Sadly, it's an experience most people have to go through at some point.
    • 5/5
      Genre: This is a great example of realistic fiction because the book deals with the struggles of loosing a loved family member and the unique ways it brings people together. It has other elements of spiritualism and religion but the focus is of the struggle of "missing may."Stars for CharacterizationAge: Intermediate
    • 3/5
      This book is about a young girl, Summer, whose parents have died. After being passed from relative to relatives, she ends up living with Aunt May and Uncle Ob. She arrives as a shy child and eventually overcomes the shyness. Aunt May ending up dying and Uncle Ob doesn't take her passing very well. I personally rated this book three stars. I didn't understand the ending. I understood that Summer finally cried, but the part about Ob left me with questions. In the classroom, I would ask the students to compose an essay from personal experience that mentions a family member or close friend passing and how they dealt with it. Was there someone who helped you deal with it? Did it take years later? What did you gather from the experience with Missing May?In the classroom, I would ask the students to compose an essay about a travel experience they experienced in the past. Include the individuals that came along and when it occurred. Must be at least one page in length.
    • 4/5
      This short volume about the pain of losing a loved one is made more poignant given Summer's background of losing a mother and being passed around her extended family, before coming to live with her Uncle Ob and Aunt May. While Summer is very concerned about her uncle, ultimately, the story is about her own grief and coming to terms with her own loss. A wonderful book for anyone who has lost a loved one.
    • 4/5
      Why is it that I have become such a big Cynthia Rylant fan, especially loving her Mr. Putter and Tabby series, a series of very short chapter books, and yet I found this book too short? Missing May is the story of a girl, Summer, who lost her parents and thought she'd never find love again. Then she came to live with Aunt May and Uncle Ob. May and Ob were the embodiment of love. Summer was rapturously happy until one day May collapsed and died while working in her garden.Ob and Summer were filled with despair. They frantically tried to contact May in the spirit world, but everything they tried failed. It is only with the help from a boy from Summer's school, Cletus, that Ob and Summer begin to heal and find a way to miss May without falling into despondency.
    • 4/5
      Summer is a 12 year-old orphan, who has been living blissfully in West Virginia with her Uncle Ob and Aunt May since she was 6. One morning, Uncle Ob finds Aunt May dead in her garden. Summer's own grieving for Aunt May is complicated by her concern for Uncle Ob, who seems to have given up on everything. Then Summer's classmate Cletus comes to visit, and and Ob is intrigued by this boy who experienced death but came back. A simple but powerful YA book.
    • 5/5
      Rylant uses this small little book to deal with one of the hardest things in life: when a loved one passes away.Summer has come to live with Ob and May. After Summer's mother passed away, she was just passed around family members in Ohio. Never really looked after and treated like a burden. That is until Ob and May come for a vist, pack her up, and take her home with them that same day.Now, Summer and Ob are trying to find a reason to go on after May passes. They try just about everything a person could try to re-connect with May. But, once they realize the best way to do that is to live, everything just falls into place. I'd reccomend this book for children or adults that have lost someone and still haven't quite found a place for all those feelings. Another book about a sad topic, but with a feel good ending.
    • 5/5
      I always come back to "Missing May". It should be required reading in the schools.
    • 5/5
      Be sure to have a box of tissues by your side if/when you read this poignantly wonderful book of loss that wounds and love that transcends the sadness of death, enabling the spirit to keep living through the pain.Cynthia Rylant, the author of this 1993 Newbery Medal award winning book, is rightfully deserving of the honor.While small in the number of pages, it is large in depth and meaning. It packs a soft wallop as each and every word is used with such powerful poetry that I marveled as I turned the pages.Narrated by Summer, we learn of the difficult early years after her mother died and she was complacently passed along to a series of family members. "Every house I had ever lived in was so particular about its food, and especially when the food involved me. I felt like one of those little mice who has to figure out the right button to push before its food will drop down into the cup. Caged and begging. That's how I felt sometimes."Rescued by elderly Aunt May and Uncle Ob, Summer finally finds a secure, stable home as she lives with these two wonderful people who, while lacking in financial resources, have an abundance of love.When Aunt May dies, in deep grief, Summer's fears of abandonment and insecurity arise as she watches Uncle Ob slip into depression.Enter anything but ordinary, highly eccentric, classmate Cletus Underwood who brings a unique joy and unconventionality to the two deeply hurting souls.I liked everything about this book. Rich in symbolism, the words gentle power come to mind.Highly recommended.
    • 5/5
      After the death of the beloved aunt who has raised her, 12-year-old Summer and her Uncle Ob leave their West Virginia trailer in search of the strength to go on living.This book is a gem! Much better than Walk Two Moons.
    • 4/5
      Since summer was six years old she lived with dear Aunt May and Uncle Ob. Now, six years later, Aunt May has died. Summer, who misses May with all her might, is afraid something will happen to Ob. Most days Ob seems like he doesn't want to go on.

      But then Ob feels May's spirit around him and he wants to contact her. Cletus Underwood, a strange boy from school, reads about someone who could help him do that. Summer wants to hear from May too.

      Ob and Summer don't know what to expect when they set off on their search for some sign from May. They only know they need something to ease their sorrow and give them strength to go on living, always knowing they will never stop missing may.

      The characters felt so real that I want to find that little home and meet them.


    • 3/5
      A moving little story about loss, and how people grieve.
    • 5/5
      A captivating and thoughtful story about the realities of life and accepting our place within our own life. After Summer's mother died when she was six years old, she went to live with her older Aunt May and Uncle Ob. They both took wonderful care of Summer. But then at the age of twelve, Aunt May passed away which created a huge void in Summer's and Uncle Ob's life. This is a story of reconnecting with those who have passed, hoping in the spiritual life. It is also a story of unexpectedly connecting with those different than us, who have much to offer, such as we see in Cletus (a classmate of Summer's) who comes into the family picture at the most inopportune yet appropriate times of need. If I were using this book in a class setting, a couple teaching points I would use are…- Discovering the use of figurative language (such as metaphors, similes and personification) along with humor as it is used in the text.- Drawing out the comparisons to the student's own lives as it relates to the realities of life as well as the spiritual connections expressed in the story.
    • 4/5
      An elegiac tale of an orphan named Summer and her guardian Ob, dealing with the loss of Ob's wife and her stand-in mom, May.This very short tale is equal parts sad and hopeful. Summer, who narrates, Ob, and their new (reluctantly so on Summer's part) friend Cletus, find their way after May's death. Could be a good conversation starter with kids about dealing with grief.
    • 4/5
      As a small child, orphaned Summer is adopted by May and Ob, an elderly aunt and uncle, who live in a ramshackle trailer in a back-woods West Virgina town. But for all they lack in means, they make up for in love. May think's they and their home are heaven. But May dies, and now neither Summer nor Uncle Ob know what to do.An odd-ball boy from Summer's school, Cletus, begins to hang around their house in his spare time, and Summer begins to realize that for all of his weirdness, he's got some very good qualities too, and he seems to be helping Ob deal with his grief. But Summer is having difficulty dealing in a very different way, and neither Ob nor Cletus seems to be helping her.
    • 5/5
      This was one of the best Newberry winners I've read in a while. I don't know if it is really deserving of five stars or not, but the characters were just so lovable, and I haven't given a book five stars in a while, so why not. The book brought tears to my eyes on several occasions, both happy and sad. It's a really quick read, shorter than many young adult books.
    • 4/5
      Ob and May took Summer in when she was six years old, shunted from one relative to another. They didn't have much, just a trailer in rural West Virginia, but they gave her the unconditional love and acceptance she had been craving all her life. Then, when Summer was 12, May died, leaving Summer and Ob feeling lost and adrift. If only there were some way to talk to May just one last time...It's rare to find a book for older children than handles grief so well. This book is slight, and the plot is definitely secondary to the characters. It's a "typical" Newbery winner in many ways (realistic fiction, female protagonist, plot less important than character development), but that doesn't take away from the fact that it is very, very well written.
    • 4/5
      I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked it because I think Cynthia Rylant does a great job of showing the appreciation the Character Summer has for her aunt and uncle. For example, on page 5 the Summer is describing her first night with her aunt and uncle in their trailer. Summer says, "That first night in it with Ob and May was as close to paradise as I may ever come in my life." The thing I didn't really like about the book is that the plot in the beginning jumps around a bit. For example, it starts off with Summer talking about when May died, then it goes on to talk about how Summer ended up with her aunt and uncle then goes back to present day after May died. The main idea in this book is that everyone grieves differently and missing a relative who has passed away is normal and okay.
    • 5/5
      “Missing May” Cynthia Rylant is a work of art that is truly deserving of the John Newberry Medal. Even though this book may not be for everyone, since it primarily deals with grieving the loss of a loved one, the poetic literary devices and the writing style is unique. By reading the topic, I thought that I would not enjoy reading it, but I read it in two sittings. I was drawn to the spirituality of the book without the religious element. The existential themes revolved around “Why are we here?” and what are the priorities that are important such as “What makes a family?” “What do children really need?” “Where do people go when they die?” “How do people recover from the death of a loved one?” and “How do people with depression find the strength to move on?” The main character Summer, her uncle Ob, and their friend Cletus create a new family as they help each other move after the death of May the matriarch of the family. Although the book may be a type of “Self-Help” book, I would be careful to recommend this book to a grieving student who is dealing with a recent death, since the literature may bring too many emotions to the surface and the child may not know how to deal with this alone.Ages 4th and Up
    • 5/5
      Missing May is a depressing but realistic book with well-developed characters and an unearthing plot of learning to cope with grief. May dies, leaving the three who loved her most to suffer and try to live without her in their life. After May dies, her family members continue to be heartbroken and distraught until they finally learn how to cope and grieve May's death while trying to live a life leaning on each other for support.This book was very well-written with great descriptions and emotional scenes. I enjoyed reading this book and it is one I could definitely read over and over.Newbery Medal (1993) Boston Globe–Horn Book Award (Fiction, 1992)ALA Best Books for Young Adults (1993) A Horn Book Fanfare Best Book (1993) BCCB Blue Ribbon Book (1992)